Chamber and committees

I asked the question only because, when the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee looked at the bill, there were some questions about who would be liable for specific costs and whether we need a bit more clarity in the financial memorandum or whether it is just a numbers game.

Is it possible to distinguish between the more rural areas, where you cannot be expected to go door knocking because it is too difficult, and the urban areas? Is there a better public information campaign in the urban areas than in the rural areas?

That takes me back to my question about responsibility for the costs.

All the previous speakers have commented on behavioural change, which I agree is critical to solving a lot of the issues. We have a big job to do to get people to understand the implications of not taking a responsible attitude to waste management. I agree that there is a lot of confusion. In Perth and Kinross, two excellent new bins have appeared for cans, plastics and tins, but there are two existing bins that take the same things plus cardboard and paper. We now have other bins for those things as well. All those bins exist and nobody is quite sure where to put anything. I cite that as an example. It would be very helpful if local authorities were extremely clear about what waste goes where, because that confusion must have a cost implication.

Okay. Thank you.

Has it proved to be more complicated than you were expecting, given that you have had to shift things?

The Scottish Government said that that information would be available by the end of September. Do you have any other date for when you hope to complete it?

In your opening remarks, you said that you want to see a strategic objective when it comes to tax policy and that you have tasked your special tax group with focusing on that. What components would make a successful strategic overview of the tax system?

I would like a bit of clarification on Michelle Thomson’s question about the end of September. Now that that deadline has been moved—you said that it will probably not happen for this budget—when do you expect the Verity house agreement to be in play?

We asked the question because it comes back to the issue of scrutiny. The more information that we can have when scrutinising the agreement and what local government funding will look like, the better. So it is a bit concerning to hear that the time is going to be moved on a bit.

It is complex. I am not going to defend all aspects of the UK tax system, because there are clearly problems in it. Having said that, it is the Scottish Government’s job to look at the efficacy of different taxes, how well those taxes will be able to bring in the required revenue in the years ahead, and how well they can expand the tax base in relation to the public spending that the Scottish Fiscal Commission has set out in considerable detail. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think that your tax group will look at the ability of the different types of tax in Scotland and the different thresholds to serve the revenue that you require to proceed with very heavy government expenditure. Is that correct?